Supporting and driving mechanism for wringers



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w V am B S. E. SCHROEDER SUPPORTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WRINGERSFiled Dec.

Jul 7, 1931.

m mm A: I URNEY'E g a W w vm Patented July 7. 1931 PATENT OFFICE SIMONn. SCHROEDE/R, or NEWTON,- IOWA I surronrme Ann DRIVING MECHANISM nonWRINGERS Application filed Decemberm, 1925. Serial nfo. 75,007.

This invention relates to supporting and driving mechanism for wringrs.The Object of the invention is in the provision .of a simplifiedsupporting and driv ing mechanism for wringers.

Another object thereof is in. the provision of a driving mechanism forthe conventional 7 wringer that positively prevents swinging of thewringer to the various operative posi- 10 tions unless said wringer hasthe drive portions thereof entirely disengaged from the main driveshaft.

Still another object is in the provision of a simplified drivingconnection between 'the conventional vertically disposed drive shaft andthewringer mechanism, whereby said normally vertically disposed driveshaft may 'be moved to an unclutched position with relation to saidwringer mechanism. p A further object lies in a simplified means forrelating a wringer mechanism to'a normally vertically disposed driveshaft to accomplish an. optional clutching engagement therebetween bythe manual movement of one member from the other.

A still further object is to provide a driving connection for aswingable wringer mechanism, said driving connection includ-' ing anormally vertically disposed drive so shaft adapted, however, formovement to an unclutched position with relation to said wringermechanism.

I A yet furtherobject is in providing a supporting and driving mechanismfor wringwringer. mechanism with respect to the conventional uprightdrive shaft, and connections between said wringer mechanism and thedrive shaft, which permit swinging of the wringer about its axis onlywhen disengaged from said drive shaft. 4

Other objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification, taken in connection' with the annexed drawings, in whichFig. 1 is afront elevation of my supporting and driving mechanism forwringers,

showing same attached to a conventional washing machine, portionsthereof being 5 broken away for more detail showing ers, which includesthe offsetting 'of the n Fig. 2 is across-sectional View, taken on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my wringer support and drivingmechanism in operative position upon conventional washing machinestructure, of he type usually referred to as the upright oscillator. I

Inasmuch as the present application. is directed entirely to the drivingmechanism, merely a general description of the washing machine isthought necessary. Refer- I ring, however, to the washing machinestructure, we find a housing member 10', which in a measure forms apartof-the supporting frame, inasmuch as it is directly attached,- as at.11, to theordinary leg portions12. An inner supporting frame for theoperating portions of the washer is shown at 13. The washer, as statedbefore, is of the upright oscillator type, there being provided anoscillating tub portion 14 having africtional connection 15 with anagitator portion 16.- Means for driving theagitator portion 16 isprovided in a manner well known in the art, and includes a lever 17', acrank 18, wormgear 19, 20, drive wheel 21, belt 22, and the conventionalelectric motor 23, tached, as at 24, to the frame 13.

gear housing 25 encloses the gears, as;

suitably atwell as the stub shaft 26, which supports part of the gears.This'housing is partially filled with lubricant and-is fashioned in amanner to prevent the passage of said lubricant there- 7 from.

Means for driving the wringer mechanism now to be described, includes asmall gear 27 attached to the stub shaft 26, said gear driving a' trainof gears 28 and 29, providing the driving connection for the wringerstructure through the mechanism now to be described.

A housing member is shown at 30, which is slightly larger than theordinaryhousing member for the conventional uprightdfriving element, thesame in this instance not having as yet been described. At the lower endofthe housingi30 is a base portion 31, which is really apart of the gearcasing,,said base portion including a supporting element 33 for thebefore mentioned gear 29, which has, upon its upper face, a portion 32adapted to receive in a loose manner the lower end 33 of the upright'main drive shaft 34. This drive shaft 34 normally'is held in asubstantially vertical position, as shownin full lines in the drawings.However, due to the loose connection at the lower end of the driveshaft, the latter-is adapted to be moved by lever mechanism, later to bedescribed, to a position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the upperend of the main drive shaft 34 is positively attached a gear 35 adaptedto mesh, during the driving connection, with the wringer mechanism laterto be described. I

Disposed fixedly upon the upper end of housing 30 is a supporting frame36, which encloses not only the upper end of the main drive shaft, butis also fashioned in a manner to receive the wringer mechanism. Inthepresent instance, the wringer mechanism is not positioned with theclutching portions thereof directly above the main drive shaft,

- but is rotatably mounted, or rather, has its rotatable manner in s51,52 and 53 to permit t housing 37 rotatably mounted, as at 38 and 38 inthe frame 36 and extension 30* of frame 30, respectively. The housing 37is fashioned in a somewhat conventional manner, in that it provides alsoa supporting portion40 for a wringer member 41, which includes thetensioned roll members 42 and 43. A horizontally disposed shaft 44provides driving means for the lower wringer roll, and has a bevel ear45 mounted upon its inner end and mes ing with a second gear 46. Thegear 46 has disposed therebelow and integrally formed therewith a secondgear portion 46", the same being adapted to mesh with the beforementioned gear 35 disposed on the upper end of the main drive shaft 34.Means for supporting the above mentioned gears 46 and 46 is provided inthe vertically disposed stub shaft. 46, the same being supported in apart 39. An opposed bevel gear 47 also meshes with the gear 46, and issimilarly rotatable on the horizontally disposed shaft 44. Aconventional clutching element is shown at 48, and a manually controlledlever 49 provides the means for clutching the said member 48 to eitherof the bevel gears 45 or 47 to accomplish the rotation of the wringerrolls in the direction desired.

The wringer housing 37, previously described as somewhat similar to theordinary wringer housing, differs in the present in-' stance in thatsaid housinglis recessed at 50, e gear 35 on the upperend of the maindrive shaft to be swung into engagement with gear 46 when said maindrive shaft assumes the driving position; in other words, the full lineposition shown in Fig. 1.

Means for mov ng the main driving element and the attached gearaway fromthe gear 46, or rather, to an unclutched position in relation "thereto,-is provided in the following mechanism.

A manually controlled lever 54 ispivotally attached to the frame 36',and to the lever 54 is pivoted an arm 55, which is pivoted at itsopposite end to a bearing 56 surrounding the upper end of the main driveshaft. The

. bearing 56 is adapted to be moved laterallyin a slot 56 in casing 36by the mechanism ust described. In so moving the bearing 56 the upperend of shaft 34 and the gear 35 atvthat when gears 35 and 46 are inengagement the member 56 is positioned in one of the recesses to preventrotary movement of casing 37 to which the wringer is attached.

It is obvious from the above that the movement of the main drive shaftto a clutched or unclutched position with respect to the wringermechanism is accomplished by manual movement of the lever 54. Likewise,it is obvious that rotation, or rather swinging, of the wringermechanism about its axis is prevented as long as thegears 35 and 46 arein mesh. However, when the main drive shaft is moved to the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 1, or in other words, away from the gear 46, thewringer may be moved manually to any of the operative positions' It isemphasized at this time, however, that only when the gears 35 and 46 arein their -unclutched position can the wringer be swung about its axis,and that, during the swinging action, there is no connection with theconstantly rotating main driving element, and therefore no danger of thewringer being accidentally forcibly rotated about its axis.

Referring to the operation, of the driving mechanism, it is thoughtapparent that the swinging of the wringer about its axis, oflf-- setwith respect to the main drive shaft, can be effected only when the gear35 is manually moved away from the gear 46*, at which time, however, thewringer may be moved to any of the operative positions. Likewise, it maybe readily seen that by offsetting the wringer in the manner describedherein, the wringer rolls will extend considerably further over the tubthan in the conventional wringer mounting, and therefore will be in amore effective position for the rinsing action.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of wringer rollsand driving mechanism therefor including a horizontally vto lock saidwringer against swinging move ment only when said main and stud driveshafts are engagedand lever mechanism for to permit swinging movement ofthe wringer.

- and means for separating the main drive shaft and wringer to 3. In amachineof the class described, a

substantially vertically disposed drive shaft, supporting means therefordisposed adja-,

cent the upper end thereof, a wringer mecha n'ism, supporting means forsaid wringer mechanism adjacent the upper end of said drive shaft, adriving connection between the wringer and main'drive shaft, meansmounted on said drive shaft for locking thewringer against swingingmovement when the drive shaft and driving connections are engaged,

permit swinging movement'of thewringer. v

4. In a machine of the class described a wringer comprising rolls and acasing therefor, a main drive shaft and a casing therefor, said wringercasing being mounted for swinging movement upon saidlatter casing,gear-f .ing between said drive shaft and rolls for driving the latterfrom the former, means movable with saiddrive shaft for engagement withsaid wringer casing normally locking said wringer casing againstswinging movement when said gearing is in engagement,

and means for moving said gearlng to and i from engagement for lockingand unlocking said wringer casing against and for swinging movementrespectively.

5. In a machine of the class described, a wringer comprising rolls and acasing there for, a main, drive shaft anda casing therefor, said wringercasing being mounted for swinging movement upon said latter casing,gearing betweensaid drive shaft and rolls for driving the latter fromthe former, means for separating said gearing, and means cooperatingwith said last mentioned means for locking or releasing said .wringercasin when the gearing -is engaged or disengaged respectively.

6. In a: machine of the class described, the combination with a swingingwringer mechanism movable to a plurallty of positions, of a main driveshaft, driving connections between said shaft and the wringer mechanism,said connections comp-rising a pair of gears mounted on said shaft andsaid mechanism respectively and arranged to be engaged or disengaged byrelative movement ofthe main shaft with respect to the wringermechanism, means movable with said shaft for locking said wringermechanism against swinging movement, and lever mechanism operativelyconnected to the shaft for disengaging said connections and for movingsaid means out of locking position to allow swinging movement of saidwringer mechanism when the connections aredisengaged.

7. A machine of the class described hav ing, in combination, wringermechanism having a head at one end by which the wringer is-supported formovement about a vertical axis to a plurality of positions, a verticaldrive shaft having its upper end located eccentric to and alongside ofthe aforesaid axis of movement of said wringer mechanism, disengageablelocking means for said wringer mechanism to prevent or permit mechanismat the will of the operator, means providing a detachable drivingconnection between said vertical drive shaft and said wringer mechanism,and a single control device for operatingthe last-mentioned means andsaid locking means.

' 8. A machine of the class described hav- .ing, in combination, awringer mechanism mounted to move about a'vertical axis to a pluralityof positions, an upright main drive shaft, and driving mechanismconnecting said shaft to said wringer mechanism and including an uprightstub shaft located coaxially with saidvertical axis of the wringermechanism and adjacent but eccentric to the u per end ofqsaid driveshaft.

9. machine'of the class de'scribedhaving, in combination, wringermechanism arranged to swing about a vertical axisfa main drive shaftlocated 011 an axis in ofi'set relapivotal swinging movement of saidwringer I tion to the aforesaid axis and being arranged to have alateral movement, and driving connections between said shaft and saidwrmger mechanlsm arranged to be connected or disconnected by saidlateral movement of said drive shaft.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, wringermechanism s mounted to swing about an axis to a plural ity of positions,a main drive shaft located at an axis offset with relation to theaforesaid axis and arranged to have lateral move- -ment, disengageabledriving connections betwe 11 said shaft and said wringer mecha-- nism,and means for disengageably locking ing, in combination, a main verticaldrive shaft, wringer mechanism mounted to swing about an axis offsetwith relation to said drive shaft, and disengageable gearing F mountedon sald shaft and said .wrlnger mechanlsm for provldmg a drlvlngconnection therebetween and operable by a horizontal shifting movementof said shaft.

12. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, awringer mechanism includinga stub shaft, a main drive shaft mountedparallel to said stubshaft, a pair of gears mounted on said stub shaftand said drive shaft respectively and meshing with each other to form adriving connection between said shafts, and means for moving said driveshaft out of parallelism with said stub shaft to eflect a disconnectiontherebetween.

13. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, aswinging wringer mechanism including a frame having a plurality of slotsradially arranged about the axis of swinging, a stub shaftcoaxiallylocated with respect to the center of the swinging movement ofsaid wringer, a main drive shaft swingable into and out of a posi-' tionparallel to said stub shaft, a pair of gears mounted on the respectiveshafts and arranged to mesh when said shafts are parallel, a membermounted on said drive shaft and arranged to fit in. one of said slotswhen said shafts are parallel, and means for swinging said drive shaftout of parallelism to throw said gears out of mesh'and to move saidmember outv of the. slot to permit the swinging of the wringer.

In testimony whereof, I' have hereunto affixed my signature. SIMON E.SCHROEDER.

